Sunnydale, 1986
by wallflower1
Summary: Every once in a while, it comes to Mayor Wilkins attention that someone in Sunnydale has noticed what happens in the town at night.


Written for the lj community whedonland for the crossover challenge. Pre-series so no real spoilers for either show.

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"Have a seat son, and we'll talk about why you're here. Mint?" Wilkins slid the crystal dish across his desk. The young deputy shook his head, continuing his scan of the room, lingering on the cabinet on the back wall.

"The Malone case, sir. And the wild dogs," the deputy said.

"Yes," Wilkins said, flipping through the file in the middle of his neat desk. "The Malone case. Chief Augustine has informed me you do not think wild dogs killed that young woman?"

"No sir." When he nodded the deputy continued, "I had a friend in LA run the bite marks. The report came back negative for dog, coyote and wolf. In fact, he couldn't identity any kind of animal that would leave a mark like that."

Wilkins steepled his fingers. "You don't seem like a stupid man, Deputy Mars. Not by a long shot. So I'm going to be very honest with you and I hope you'll extend me the same courtesy."

The deputy shifted in his seat. "Yes sir."

"We both know young Ms. Malone was not killed by wild dogs. Nether was young Ms. Evens, Mrs. Kio or Mr. Derricks or whomever else was found dead this morning. I bet a smart man such as your self has a theory as to who is killing off the tax base."

"With all do respect, sir, I've herd some theories that no sane person should seriously entertain--"

"Let me guess--yellow eyed men with strange foreheads?"

When the deputy didn't answer, Wilkins continued, "Keith--can I call you Keith? You've lived in this town almost two years now, long enough to know that Sunnydale isn't like other towns. Unless you count Cleveland, and the way their baseball team plays, who would?" He chucked to himself. "In all seriousness, you know, deep down, that odd things happen here. The citizens know, the police know, you know and I know."

"But, sir--" Wilkins swiveled his chair, looking at the ceramic Sunnydale crest behind his desk.

"You have a girlfriend, correct? Thinking about marriage? Children?"

If nothing else, Deputy Mars was a cool customer, not even a blink at the sudden subject change. "Maybe. One day. It's hard when we live four hours away from each other."

"My late wife and I tried for what felt like lifetimes to have a child. Never happened, which was completely my fault. I had a choice, a family or Sunnydale, and I chose Sunnydale."

Wilkins back swiveled around to face the deputy. "A lot of men in the department have chosen their families; they turn a blind eye to the happenings here, because if you don't kick the hornets nest, only a few people will get stung. Not the smartest move, but it pacifies them."

Popping a mint in his mouth, he said, "I can see your not one to be pacified, Keith, And I admire that. You love your job, perhaps to a fault, which is why I'm going to strongly suggest you resign from the SPD."

"_Excuse me_? Getting rid of me isn't going to solve the problem," Deputy Mars said.

"Of course it won't, it will take a firmer hand then what you can offer to solve the problem. Believe me; I'm working on a solution. But in the meantime, I would suggest looking for a new job."

The poor man, this really was a surprise.

"Don't look so glum. A nice young upstart such as your self will be running things in no time. You can move back to that sleepy little beachside town with your girlfriend. I'll write you a letter of recommendation myself. And I'm willing to bet that Neptune have less of a...wild dog problem," Wilkins offered.

Deputy Mars stared at him, mouth pressed in a tight line. "And if I don't take your generous offer?"

"I never implied that you had too. But pretty young women have an unfortunate tendency to--" he tapped his lips,"--disappear around here. I wouldn't wish that upon you, son."

The deputy looked ready to tell him what's what, and Wilkins was curious to see if he would. After working so long with the passive humans and overly aggressive demons in the community, it was a novelty to see such conviction.

It took a long moment for the deputy to speak: "I could call the papers, the news stations, expose you and all the corruption and incompetence in the face of…whatever is really going on here. The people have a right to know they are being systematically picked off."

Wilkins couldn't help it: he started laughing, real laughter deep from the belly. Now Deputy Mars looked angry, his face turning an unflattering shade of red, and he laughed even harder.

"No one," he said, calming a bit and blotting a few tears away, "would ever believe you. The moment the details were released, about the bite marks and the exsanguinations, the blinders would kick in. They would discredit you, label you a crack. After that, well, you would be lucky if you could get a job guarding a donut shop."

Wilkins lowered his voice, keeping the same affable tone. "Which, for you, would be more torturous then anything that the night creature around here could think up."

The deputy stared, looking him straight in the eyes, trying to look through him, perhaps into his soul. Too bad his soul currently resided in a pyramid of Thesulah somewhere in one of the major hell dimensions.

Their stare off lasted a long moment, ending when Deputy Mars looked away. "I'll have my resignation on the chief's desk first thing."

Wilkins grinned. "You'll see, in time, that this really was the best move for you, son."

"More for you than me, Mayor Wilkins," Deputy Mars said, "Are we done here, sir?"

"Yes. You may go. And send in my seven o 'clock." He stuck his hand out for the deputy to shake. After a moment, the deputy did. On his way out Deputy Mars apologized to the young looking women he bumped past as she entered the office. Good, so many young people these just didn't know the importance of good manors.

"Mayor Wilkins, what you said to that man was wrong."

"How so, my dear?" he asked, digging out a wet towelette from his desk to wipe his hands with.

She huffed a laugh."I could have come up with something much worse then losing a job."

"Darla, I have no doubts about your ability. But I told him what he needed to here."

"I don't know why you cared so much about the life of one human. Especially one who didn't play by the rules," she said.

Wilkins folded the used towelette and put it back in its foil wrapper. "If I have to explain it to you, then its not worth explaining. Keith Mars will give us no more trouble. That is all that matters in the end, right my dear?"

"I'm only wondering if your going soft."

"You really shouldn't confuse a capacity of affection for an absence of ruthlessness. Nudging Deputy Mars elsewhere doesn't detract from my end goal." He popped another candy into his mouth and offered the crystal candy dish to Darla.

"Mint?"


End file.
